Girdle.



J. W. SGHLOSS.

GIRDLB.

APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 7, 1914.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

JOSEPH W. SCHLOSS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., {KSSIGNOR TO CASTLEBONE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YOI K.

GIRDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. SoHLoss, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, in the borough of Manhattan and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Girdles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to belts or girdles trated.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a face view of the girdle foundation when laid open straight and fiat; Fig. 2 are views of fractional portions of the edge of the device showing two different styles of fluting or plaiting.

The foundation consists essentially of a straight band 1 of woven fabric, the ma: terial of which the band is made being of the nature of buckram, crinoline, haircloth or other comparatively stiff fabric. This band, preferably throughout its length, is fluted, corrugated or plaited as indicated at 2 in Fig. 2, the nature of the material being such that this fluting or plaiting retains its shape indefinitely and the flutings or plaitings are arranged transversely to the length of the band, so that when tension is applied to the extremities of the band, it will yield to the extent afforded by the opening or stretching out of the fluting. For convenience the fluting, plaiting, corrugation or other similar formation which is imparted to the band, will be referred to merely as fluting with the understanding that this term has a scope suflicient to include all of the others. Attached to one face of the band 1 is an elastic tape 8 arranged longitudinally thereof, the particular location being substantially at the waist line when the belt is applied to the body and ordinarily at some intermediate point between the upper and lower edges of the band 1. This elastic tape preferably consists of the usual fabric having rubber strands incorporated therein. It is fixed to the face, of the band 1 in such a manner that its extension and contraction, as well as the extension and contraction of the band itself, are not interfered with. This is accomplished by using a zig-zag stitching 4, such, for instance, as the herring bone stitch or a modification thereof. The tape is also preferably secured to the band while the former is under slight'tension so that there will be an additional tendency to restore the flutings to their original shape after the band has been distended. Stiifeners such as whale bone or steels may be inserted at intervals as indicated at 5 to maintain the shape of the band, but these are not features of my invention.

The foundation thus described is intended to receive and support an ornamental covering, such as silk or other fabric, which is supposed to be applied thereto with sufficient fullness to permit of limited extension of the foundation when it is applied to the body. The girdle is of course Worn around the waist line and assumes and maintains the shape of the body at that location. The function of the fiutings is to yield or open and contract locally to accommodate the shape of the human figure without binding around the entire circumference of the body. An elastic band, for instance, would yield locally to enlargements of the body, but it would also be put under strain around the entire body or throughout the length of the elastic portion, whereas, the fiutings merely openlocally to accommodate an enlargement without drawing on the other portions of the band. The elastic tape 3 will preferably be slightly shorter than the Waist measurement of the person who will wear the girdle.

This will cause the girdle to fit closely at the waist line and when the girdle is removed from the body, the tape will serve to restore the flutings to their original shape and thus make the article more durable.

I am aware that these girdle foundations have heretofore been made of stiff but flat material cut on the bias so as to yield in a longitudinal direction and fit the shape of the body, but this construction is 0bjectionable because there is practically no limit to the amount of stretch which is afforded by material cut on the bias and eventually such a band becomes almost a string. It is not self-restoring to shape andis less durable than the construction herein described.

The zig-zag stitching herein referred to may consist of single stitches arranged diagonally to each other as shown or" each of the diagonal runs may be composed of a number of stitches, the function being to permit adjacent apexes of the stitching to separate and contract With the fabric.

I claim:

1. A girdle foundation comprising a band of stiff fabric fluted transversely of its length and having an elastic tape secured longitudinally thereto. y

2. A girdle foundation comprising aband of stiff fabric fluted transversely of its length and having an elastic-tape secured longitudinally thereto intermediate of its upper and lower edges.

3. A girdle foundation comprisin a band of stiff fabric fluted transversely of its length and having an elastic tape secured of stiff fabric fluted transversely of its length, an elastic tape applied to the face of the band in a longitudinal direction and zigzag stitching securing the tape to the band for the purpose set forth. In witness whereof, I subscribe my sigmature, the presence of two witnesses v JOSEPH W. SCHLOSS.

Witnesses: V

JULE ZELENKO, WALDO M. CHAPIN. 

